Chocolate Chip Cookies – Willis’ Perfect Version

¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 sticks Fleishmann’s Margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons water
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups Ghirardelli’s Double Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine sugars and margarine and beat until very fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and water and continue beating until well mixed. Slowly add flour and baking soda, beating vigorously between each addition. Beat an extra few minutes after all of the flour has been added. Slowly stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-sized portions onto a high quality cookie sheet leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and soft to the touch. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.

Although this recipe appears to be very similar to the recipe on the Nestles’ Chocolate Chop package there are several differences. The amount of flour is slightly more after careful experimentation to produce soft and chewy cookies. In addition, the vigorous beating, preferably with a KitchenAid mixer guarantees the perfect, fluffy cookie. It is also critical to have heavy cookie sheets and to make the cookies bigger than the recommended size.

Chocolate Snappers – Unknown source

1 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup corn syrup
2 one ounce squares of baking chocolate
Sugar

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl combine the shortening, sugar and egg; beat until creamy. Mix in the corn syrup and chocolate and blend in the flour mixture. Shape into balls using 1 tablespoon for each cookie. Roll in sugar to coat and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 36 cookies.

Lemon Bars – unknown source

Crust:

2 cups sifted flour
½ cup sifted powered sugar
1 cup margarine

Cut in margarine until mixture clings together. Press into 13x9 inch pan and back at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Topping:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
grated lemon peel

Blend ingredients in blender until think and smooth. Pour over crest and back at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cool, cut and serve.

Marilyn’s Cookies – Detroit friend, Marilyn Fischer

2 sticks margarine
1 8 ounce cream cheese
2 ¼ cups flour

Mix these ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Divide into four portions. Roll thin and cut into squares. Do not re-roll scraps. Drop scant teaspoon of jelly and fold corners to center. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Marilyn’s Crescents – Detroit friend, Marilyn Fischer

1 egg yolk
2 sticks butter
2 cups flour
¾ cup sour cream

Mix and refrigerate overnight form into crescents with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Melting Moments – Detroit friend, Patty Morse

1 cup real butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually blend in flour and beat for about 5 minutes until satiny. Chill several hours. Roll into 1 inch balls bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Frosting:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons real butter
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat thoroughly. Dip each cooking halfway in frosting.

Rolled Cookies – Detroit friend, Judy Adelman

Using this recipe we made “play doh” cookies by coloring the dough to match the “play doh” colors – nobody was eager to eat the intensely colored cookies. Great recipe to use with cookie cutters.

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine and beat all ingredients. Refrigerate before rolling and cutting. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Rolled Jelly Cookies – Willis’ mom, Goldie

1 cup shortening
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Beat sugars and shortening until well mixed; add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add orange rind and juice. Sift flour, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide into four parts. Roll each part between wax paper, spread with jelly, sprinkle with chopped nuts or cookie crumbs and cinnamon. Roll up in jelly roll fashion, wrap in wax paper and freeze. When ready for baking, unwrap roll, place on pan, and slice but keep together on the pan. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown. Separate and return to oven for a few minutes.

Rugala – Willis’ Aunt Ruth

1 package yeast
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
½ pound margarine

Dissolve yeast and melt margarine; combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll into a ball and refrigerate for 3 hours. Divide into 8 parts. Roll each part into circle and cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle each wedge with cinnamon, sugar, raisins, and/or nuts. Arrange on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sand Tarts – Pete Morse’s grandmother, Marie

2 ½ cups sugar
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 eggs beaten

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, followed by flour. Knead on a board; divide into quarters. Knead each portion and make rolls (cylinders about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter). Refrigerate. One roll at a time, slice very thin, brush with slightly beaten egg whites; sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon (2 teaspoon) and sugar (1/2 cup) mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes depending on how thin you cut the cookies.

Shortbread – Detroit neighbor, Mimi Habert

½ pound butter
2 ounces sugar
2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups flour

Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly, press into shallow pan and bake until golden brown.

Shortbread2 – St. Louis friend, Gillian Casson

¼ pound butter
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons flour

Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly, press into shallow pan and bake until golden brown.

Snickerdoodles – Detroit friend, Patty Morse

2 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Sift ingredients and mix thoroughly.

1 cup soft margarine or butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs

Mix these ingredients together and combine with dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Chill dough then roll into walnut sized balls. Roll each ball in sugar (2 tablespoons) -cinnamon (2 teaspoons) mixture. Place 2 inches apart on greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.

Stained Glass Window Cookies – Willis’ mom, Goldie

These cookies were a great hit when Birk’s mom, Rosemarie, visited Willis’ parents in Florida.

Melt one 12 ounce package of chocolate chips with ¼ pound butter or margarine. Fold in one package multicolored miniature marshmallows and one cup broken nuts.

Line a 10 by 15 inch baking pan with two strips of aluminum foil and cover each strip with shredded coconut. Divide chocolate mixture into two halves. Pour each half of chocolate onto coconut. Roll into a log and sprinkle with additional coconut as needed. Refrigerate for several hours. Cut into ½ inch slices.