Chocolate Cookies

Last week I was baking chocolate cookies. (the flat, crisp kind).  They just were not baking right and taking such a long time to get done..I finally , on the second pan felt towards the bottom of the oven and realized the lower burner was not heating up..Great... So I finished baking them anyway.  Of course they were different as they had to bake from the top clear through..They tasted fine.. When our youngest son stopped by, he took the unit out and got a new one down at the hardware store...put that in and I was in business again...So, today I baked the same recipe at proper oven  temperature.   The cookies are called Chocolate Sandwich Dreams..I used to put icing  between two of them (sandwich), but don't do that anymore. Mint or vanilla both were good.       1 cup butter    2 cups white ( granulated sugar)     1 teaspoon baking soda    2 teaspoons vanilla     4 Tablespoons buttermilk    1 and 1/2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate
1 and 1/2 ounces melted, un-sweetened chocolate     3 cups sifted white flour        Mix.  Roll in walnut sized balls.   Flatten with glass  dipped in flour.  Sprinkle granulated sugar on top.   Bake at 300 degrees F.  approximately 12 minutes.   Put frosting between 2 cookies if desired.
If you bake them a bit less the cookies are not quite as crisp  but good..
So, if you like crisp, thin  chocolate  cookies, you might like to try  this recipe and probably add it to your favorites list.   Great with coffee or tea.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This also is from the old Spry recipe book...  Have a good cup of coffee with a piece of lemon pie... The two flavors  go so well together...Enjoy!!!!!!!
1/2  cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons cornstarch
1   1/2 cups hot water
1    1/4 cups sugar
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 baked pie shell
Mix cold water, salt and cornstarch...Combine hot water and sugar in top of double boiler and bring to a boil...Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.   Stir a little of the mixture into egg yolks then pour all yolk mixture into thickened mixture and cook a few minutes longer.   Add lemon juice and butter.. Cool...Pour into baked pie shell.  Top
 with meringue and bake in slow oven until meringue is slightly browned, approximately 25 minutes.

Meringue
3 egg  whites       1 teaspoon vanilla       3 Tablespoons sugar
Beat egg whites until stiff enough to hold a peak.   Add sugar, one Tablespoon at a time, beating constantly.   Add vanilla. Stir in carefully.   Pile lightly onto top of pie and bake in slow oven..

Pie Photo by  Kari A. Scott.

My Recipe For Pie Crust

Have made this crust all of my life..got the recipe out of an old Spry (shortening) recipe book.   I use regular salted butter so I don't add extra salt.   This is for a two crust pie...
2    1/2  cups sifted flour
1  cup  butter
5 Tablespoons cold water

Cut butter into flour  until size of large peas...Do not overmix..     Sprinkle water over mixture....Mix with fork until all forms together into dough..  Place on floured surface and roll into size slightly larger than pie pan..

Mothers Day

Happy  Mothers  Day to Mothers everywhere...May all blessings be yours.

Spring Has Sprung

Yes, it has, finally.  It seems as though we have had winter-like weather since about last October..This AM was just barely 24 degrees F. with frost all over..But, the sun came out and stayed, for  goodness sake...So by afternoon it was 64 degrees in the shade..warmer of course where the sun hit.   Reminded me of the old Burma Shave roadside signs..It seems like we were always going the opposite direction so had to look  out the back car window and remember them from the last sign to the first...  "Don't stick your elbow out so far or it may go home in another car..Burma Shave."    "Spring has sprung the grass has ris where last year's careless drivers is..Burma Shave."    "Trains don't wander all over the map cause no one sits on the engineer's lap..Burma Shave.."   That was back in the middle west...It seems to me I have a book somewhere on the slogans...will have to look it up.. Anyway, a day like today is really nice once in awhile.  The weather forecast is for rain next week..  So, as I said, spring has sprung.

Song Magazines from The Past

Several years ago I bought a box of song books and  song magazines from an estate sale.  I went through them briefly then put the box away  until I had more time..  You know how that goes...I found the box again finally and started going through it.   Here were Song Hits and Hit Parader  magazines for mainly pop music..  Then came the Country Song Roundup and  National Jamboree  for mainly country.   I glanced through all of them seeing songs I had forgotten about and others that are ever on my mind.   Now I need to take the time to go through and  find songs I need and want the words to and copy on the copy machine in a bit larger print than in the  magazines...They are all printed so small..Really..They are..  Thanks for listening.

Listening To Music

      I hear people talk about music and what they like to listen to....  So many say they only listen to such and such music....  I think to myself that they are missing out on so much good music...   I have always  tried to sample all types of music..Sometimes that sample leads to more, as I realize I kind of like such and such music...I like all kinds from operetta, opera, waltzes,  classic country ,  The Beatles  and  so on..I try to catch the Andre Rieu programs when they come on PBS..  Then Celtic Thunder hit PBS and that is great, especially their current  Heritage...that just fascinates me..such a good program..  So you young people ,  listen to  golden oldies,  hear what the melodies and lyrics were like  in the 30's, 40's and 50's..Some great writers and music came out during those years..  And the singers...  There were so many singers that really could sing  , in tune etc.. When you listen to some of the modern music out there,  I  am glad I know the older music...Maybe that is what they were talking about when they spoke of the "generation gap".