Pepparkakor (or Wish) Cookie

This very Swedish cookie is like a molasses cookie but with a little more zip. They are also called Wish cookies because you are to place a cookie in the palm of your hand. Then, make a wish. Using the index finger of your free hand, tap the cookie in the middle. Swedish tradition states that if the cookie breaks into three pieces, your wish will come true.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture until combined.

Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes such as hearts, scalloped flowers, or even pigs with a cookie cutter. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks. They need to be crisp when cooled, so adjust your baking time as needed. Store in an airtight container.

A recipe for SuperDuper Crispy Gingersnaps can also be found in Farm Recipes & Food Secrets from the Norske Nook (970-753-0502).

NORWEGIAN NISSE MUFFINS

Yes, there really is a recipe called Norwegian Nisse muffins. Many cookbooks and on-line resources have this exact recipe!

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped
• 2/3 cups raisins (or dried berries of your choice)
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Mix all together well. Bake in muffin cups at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lacy Swedish Almond Wafers

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unblanched almonds, ground fine
• 1/2 cup sweet butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a small heavy saucepan. Heat until the butter melts, stirring constantly. The mixture will be very runny! Drop by teaspoonfuls (use an actual measuring teaspoon) on buttered and floured cookie sheet (or use parchment paper). Space them about 4" apart with no more than 6 per tray because they spread out a lot. Bake about 7 minutes or until the edges are brown and the center is still bubbly. Cool 1 minute. Loosen each cookie and here the fun begins. You can wrap the cookie around the handle of a wooden spoon to create a tube, put into a ramekin to create a bowl, or leave flat. These cookies are rather fragile so handle them gently and put them into an air tight container as humidity will make them "melt". Use your favorite cream filling to make them an extra special treat, but fill them right before you serve them.

Layer 4:

Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 2 T. vegetable oil and mix together. Drizzle over the top of the bars. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and then take out and cut the bars to serving size. Serve from fridge so they aren’t so melty and messy.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Alyssa

Layer 1:
• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Combine with fork until crumbly. Press into a 9” x 13” pan and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Cool.

Layer 2:
• 2 C. white chocolate chips
• 8 oz. cream cheese – room temp.
• 5-6 T milk

Melt white chocolate chips. While melting, whip the cream cheese to room temp. Add the melted chips and whip together. Spread over first layer. Cool in fridge for 15-520 minutes.

Layer 3:
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam.

Spread over layer 2, in amount desired.

Layer 4:

Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 2 T. vegetable oil and mix together. Drizzle over the top of the bars. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and then take out and cut the bars to serving size. Serve from fridge so they aren’t so melty and messy.

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 6 T unsalted butter, softened
• One-half cup unsweetened smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
• One-fourth cup packed light brown sugar
• One-fourth cup Splenda
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• One and one-fourth cup sifted oat flour
• One-fourth teaspoon baking powder
• 3 T. salted peanuts, chopped

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter until very smooth. Add brown sugar and Splenda and beat until well-combined and light in color. Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla extract, beating until very smooth and a little fluffy. Mix in the flour and baking powder, beating until a moist but cohesive dough forms. Stir in peanuts. Drop by tablespoon about 2” apart on non-stick baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork dampened in cold water, flatten each in a cross-hatch pattern until 2” in diameter. Bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes.

PIE CRUST

• 1 C shortening (Crisco)
• 2 C flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 C water

Mix flour, salt and shortening together until crumbly (Two table knives work well or a pastry cutter). Add water and mix lightly with a fork. Roll on floured pastry cloth size of pie pan. Flute edges and trim. This makes 3 crusts.