Cherry Bars

Recipe from Jason Olsen

1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs to 1/2 cup water, slightly beaten
Cherry pie filling

Cream margarine, sugar, and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add egg/water mixture.  Spread half of batter mixture in greased, floured 13 x 9-inch pan.  Layer with pie filling, spreading away from edges.  Dollop remaining batter over pie filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Brownies

Recipe from Sue Olsen

1 stick margarine, room temp
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey Chocolate Syrup
1/2 cup nuts, if desired

Combine margarine and sugar.  Add alternating eggs and flour.  Add syrup and nuts, if using.  Spread in greased 15 x 11-inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar for frosting.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe from Sue Olsen

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.  Sift together dry ingredients; blend into cream mixture.  Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet.  Press peanut halves on top each or crisscross with fork.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  Cool slightly, then remove from pan.

Yields: 4 dozen

Hawaiian White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe from Gail Christians

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups white chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

In mixing bowl, beat softened butter until soft and creamy.  Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well.  Combine and add to mixture the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in white chocolate chips and nuts.    Drop by rounded teaspoon 2" apart onto un-greased baking sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yields: 5 dozen

Frosted Creams (Molasses Cookies)

Recipe from Alice Kingsbury

Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup molasses
1 tsp ginger
2 eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbls baking soda mixed in about 2 tbls hot water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
5 3/4 cups (approx) flour, plus additional for rolling out/cutting

Frosting (Polly's)
2 tbls margarine, melted
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
5-6 tbls 1/2 & 1/2
1 tsp lemon flavoring
(Double this amount to frost 1 whole batch of cookies)

For cookies:  in a saucepan mix together sugar, margarine, molasses, and ginger; boil for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool completely to room temperature.  After cooled, add eggs, nutmeg, soda water, cinnamon, salt, and flour (use enough flour to make soft-but fairly stiff dough)  Use additional flour to roll out and cut as desired.  (Roll slightly thicker than sugar cookies.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.  (Note:  Do not pre-chill dough before rolling)

For frosting:  combine margarine, powdered sugar, and 1/2 & 1/2 to a glaze-like consistency (not too thick).

Yields: Approx 88 cookies

Rhubarb Custard Bars

Recipe from Sandy Olsen


Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
9 tbls chilled butter, cut into small pieces
Cooking spray

Filling
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 large eggs
5 cups (1/2-inch) sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (unthawed)

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Mint sprigs, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

3. To prepare filling, lightly spoon 1/3 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.  Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl; add milk and eggs, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Stir in rhubarb.  Pour mixture over crust.  Bake for 40 minutes or unit set.  Cool to room temperature.

4. To prepare topping, place sugar, cheeses, and vanilla in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Gently fold in whipped topping;  spread evenly over baked custard.  Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Yields: 36 servings (1 bar)

Ultimate Turtle Brownies

Recipe from Sandy Olsen

To drizzle the caramel in step 4, use a 1/4 cup ry measuring cup that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  If the caramel is too cool to be fluid, reheat it in the microwave.

Caramel
1/4 cup plus 2 tbls heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 tbls light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz) sugar
2 tbls unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Brownies
8 tbls (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup (about 2 3/4 oz) chopped pecans
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Garnish
25 pecan halves (about 1 1/2 oz), toasted

1.  To make the caramel:  combine cream and salt in small bowl; stir well to dissolve salt.  Combine water and corn syrup in heavy-bottomed 2- to 3-quart saucepan; pour sugar into center of saucepan, taking care not to let sugar granules touch sides of pan.  Gently stir with clean spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly.  Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear, 3 to 5 minutes.  Uncover and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 3 to 5 minutes more.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Continue to cook (swirling occasionally) until caramel is light amber and registers about 360 degrees on candy or instant-read thermometer, 1 to 3 minutes longer.  Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add cream to center of pan; stir with whisk or spatula (mixture will be bubble and steam vigorously) until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides.  Stir in butter and vanilla until combined; transfer caramel to microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside.

2.  To make the brownies:  adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly spray 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Cut 14-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 8 1/2-inch width.  With folded sides face down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides.  Spray foil with cooking spray.

3.  Melt butter and bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth and combined;  set aside to cool slightly.  Meanwhile, whisk together flour and baking powder in small bowl; set aside.  When chocolate has cooled slightly, whisk eggs in large bowl to combine; add sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk until incorporated.  Add melted chocolate mixture to egg mixture; whisk until homogenous.  Add flour mixture; stir with rubber spatula until almost combined.  Add chopped pecans and chocolate chips; mix until incorporated and no flour streaks remain.

4.  Distribute half of brownie batter in prepared baking pan, spreading in even layer.  Drizzle scant 1/4 cup caramel over batter.  Drop remaining batter in large mounds over caramel layer; spread evenly and into corners of pan with rubber spatula.  Drizzle additional scant 1/4 cup caramel over top.  Using tip of butter knife, swirl caramel and batter.  Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool brownies in pan on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.

5.  Heat remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 cup) in microwave until warm and pourable but still thick (do not boil), 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once or twice; pour caramel over brownies.  Using spatula, spread caramel to cover surface.  Refrigerate brownies (uncovered for 2 hours).  When serving set out at room temperature for 1 hour before;  keep remaining refrigerated as caramel gets too runny at room temp.

Note: Ghiradelli chocolate works fine

Chocolate Scotcheroos

Recipe from Polly Judd

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cup Rice Krispies
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
6 oz butterscotch chips

Combine syrup and sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.  Remove.  Stir in peanut butter and mix well.  Add Rice Krispies.  Press into buttered 9 x 13-inch pan.  Melt chips and spread over top.  Makes 48 bars.

Brownies

Recipe from Joanne Olsen

1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
6 tbls cocoa
½ cup sifted flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine sugar, oil, and eggs.  Stir in cocoa.  Add flour, salt, and vanilla.  Pour batter into greased 8-inch pan.  Spread nuts on top.  Bake 30 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

Recipe from Joanne Olsen

1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp soda in hot water
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/8 cups flour

Cream together with mixer margarine, sugar, and eggs.  Add soda, cream of tartar, and vanilla, stir.  Add flour, mixing well.  Chill for several hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On lightly floured pastry cloth, roll dough ¼-inch thick.  Cut out cookies with cookie cutters.  Place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 6-8 minutes until barely golden around edges.  Frost with white icing.

Ranger Cookies

Recipe from Gail Christians

½ cup shortening

½ cup white sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

½ tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup Wheaties
1/2 cup coconut or raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix shortening, sugars, egg,  and vanilla.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Yields: Small batch makes 3 dozen.

Norwegian Kringla

Recipe from Joanne Olsen

1 cup sugar
½ cup margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3½ cups flour

Cream together with mixer sugar, margarine, eggs, and vanilla.  Add buttermilk.  Mix soda, baking powder, salt and flour.  Add to mixer.  Place dough in refrigerator (at least 6 hours) and get dough very cold.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a well-floured pastry cloth, as dough will be sticky; however be careful not to get too much flour in cookie dough.  Roll out dough into about a 4-inch long rope.  Cross ends of rope (like a remembrance ribbon) as placing on un-greased cookie sheet.   Bake approx 7-10 minutes until bottoms are barely golden.

Chocolate Oaties

Recipe from Olive Olsen

2 cups sugar
5 tbls cocoa
½ cup milk
1 cup margarine
3 cups quick oatmeal
½ tsp vanilla
Nuts or coconut (opt.)

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil; boil 1 minute.  Stir in oatmeal, vanilla, and nuts (if using).  Let cool slightly.  Drop by tablespoon on wax paper.