Betty G’s Country Recipes

“The coffee flavor in these reminds me of my family’s favorite Caramel Cream Cake which we referred to as Coffee Cake.  The combination of coffee and chocolate is divine.”

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp soda
• 3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp cooled, double-strength coffee
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
• 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour and soda; set aside.  Beat margarine and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Blend in coffee, egg and vanilla.  Add flour mixture; beat until well blended.  Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts; cover.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls (or drop them by rounded teaspoons) and place 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from baking sheets to wire racks to cool.  About 5 dozen cookies.

“These are really light and dainty cookies that have a refreshing lemon flavor.  The surprise comes from the texture the oatmeal gives.  When Les tasted them for the first time, he said, “You need to serve these at the next shower you give.”  Great idea, Les!”

• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg yolk (save the white for the toping)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING:

• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Cream shortening, cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add egg yolk, lemon peel and extract and mix well.  Gradually add the flour, oatmeal and salt to the creamed mixture.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.  (I use a small cookie scoop which makes a rounded-top uniform cookie.  I also line a cookie sheet with parchment paper instead of greasing the baking sheet.)

Beat egg and egg white and brush the tops of each cookie with the mixture.  Sprinkle with sugar and top with a few almonds if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Yield:  4 1/2 dozen.

“This is a recipe that I adapted for Joe Heflin’s 2006 campaign for State Representative District 85.  Joe has a cowboy background, so these cookies “represent” him well!”

• 3/4 cup butter Crisco
• 4 tsp water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut

Bet the Crisco, water and sugars together in an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended.  Beat in the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in the oats, nuts, coconut and chocolate chips.  Drop by generous spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Makes 5 1/2 dozen cookies.

“These bars are great to serve at a wedding or baby shower.  They are delicious.”

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 14 oz apricot jam or preserves

Mix the flour, sugar, soda, salt and margarine in a food processor until crumbly.  Mix in the pecans and coconut.  Press 3 cups of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan.  Spread with a layer of apricot jam or preserves.  This spreads easier if you warm the jar in the microwave for about 40 seconds.  Cover the jam layer with the remaining crust mixture and press down firmly with your hands.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cut into squares. 

These are crisp shortbread cookies which are delicious with the taste of lemon.  They are quick to mix and can be frozen to slice and bake later.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cup cake flour (I used regular flour less about 2 Tbsp)
• Finely grated rind of 3 lemons
• Powdered sugar

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl.  Gradually add sugar, beating well. 

Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the lemon rind and mix well.

Divide the dough in half and roll into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Roll each log in powdered sugar.  Wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm.  (If you wish to bake them later, you may freeze the logs and defrost slightly before slicing to bake.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  (They do not spread, so they may be placed fairly close together.)  Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week or in the freezer up to a month.

Makes 3 dozen.

“This is the frosting that is used for Frosted Apple Brownies.”

• 1/4 cup softened margarine
• 1 pkg (3 oz) softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cream margarine and cream cheese; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. (You may wish to sprinkle the pecans on top of the iced bars instead of mixing them into the frosting.)

“I have no idea why these are called ‘brownies,’ but they are delicious. This is a great autumn dessert when apples are plentiful.”

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup apple, finely chopped
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream shortening, gradually adding sugar, beating well at medium speed of mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in apple and pour batter into a greased 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting while slightly warm. Cool before cutting into squares. Makes 4 dozen.

This recipe is great topped with Cream Cheese Frosting.

“I served this new recipe at a Super Bowl party. We decided they would be great to serve at a shower or reception in bite-size pieces.”

CRUST:

• 1 1/2 sticks margarine, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

TOPPING:

• 2 cups pecans
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream

CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle of the oven. Combine crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into an ungreased 9×13 pan and press evenly onto the bottom with a metal spatula or your hands. Bake the shortbread crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

TOPPING: Coarsely chop pecans in food processor. Melt margarine in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in brown sugar, honey and cream and bring to a simmer, stirring. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, then stir in pecans. Remove from heat.

Pour pecan mixture over hot shortbread crust and spread evenly. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 24 bars or daintier pieces depending on the occasion where they will be served.

“I don’t know whose Grammy this is, but she knew what she was doing with these cookies! Les said, ‘These are the best cookies you have ever made!” That is saying a mouthful (pardon the pun), since I have made a LOT of cookies!

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 1/4 cups (2 sticks plus 4 Tbsp) butter or margarine (or a mixture of the two), softened
• 2 cups sugar, plus more for dipping
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and soda. Set aside.

In bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine (or a combination of the two), 2 cups sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients with mixer on low speed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (I use a cookie scoop which saves time and is not as messy. I dip my cookie scoop in the sugar before scooping the dough.) Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 to 10 minutes. (8 minutes produced a soft gooey cookie, and 9 or 10 minutes makes them more crisp and crunchy.) Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

“A new friend expressed interest in the Vinegar Cobbler recipe which she found in my cookbook, Betty G’s Country Recipes. That piqued my own interest in trying a cookie with vinegar. That just sounds too strange; however, I was pleasantly surprised. This produces a very crisp sugar cookie, and you would never know the vinegar is there.”

• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine margarine with sugar in a large mixer bowl and blend on low speed of mixer. Continue to mix on high until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in flour, vinegar, and soda until thoroughly mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are golden. Let cookies set on cookie sheet about 30 seconds before removing them to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.