Favorite Cookies--Pizzelles

I love pizzelles and I try to make them every year at Christmas time. I thought I'd put the recipe here for you.

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

• In small mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and anise. Set aside
• in a large mixing bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed about 4 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the sugar. The beat in the melted margarine/butter and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping the the sides of bowl occasionally.
• Heat an electric pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. (Or, heat a nonelectric pizzelle iron on the range-top over medium heat till a drop of water sizzles on the grid. Reduce heat to medium-low)
• Place a slight rounded tablespoon of batter slightly off center toward back of grid. Close lid. Bake according to manufacturer's directions.(For a nonelectric iron, bake for 30 - 60 seconds or until golden, turning once. ) Turn wafer out onto a paper towel to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 18.

I made 2 batches of these tonight. For some reason the batch I made with Splenda instead of sugar turned out heavier--the batter was more like a dough. Maybe it was the Splenda or maybe I added too much flour (I was making a double batch). Anyway, the "normal" ones turned out great.

I may have posted this recipe before but this year I upped the amount of anise I use by adding an additional 1/2 teaspoonful. 

Here's a few of the pizzelles I made tonight:

It's time for some hot chocolate and a pizzelle to dunk in it. 

More pizzelle irons<

Insomnia and the Munchies

Couldn't sleep and had the urge for some cookies. The only cookies remaining in our house were some rum balls and I'm not too fond of them. Sooo, in the wee dark hours this morning, I made pizzelle cookies! Pizzelles are one of my favorite holiday treats. I didn't make them before Christmas so it was the perfect time to make them. I found my pizzelle iron about 19 years ago at a thrift store for about $5 or $6 and that was a good deal because they're pricey.

Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:

Pizzelles
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon anise seed
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a small mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and anise

In a large bowl beat the eggs with electric mixer on high for 4 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. With the mixer on medium, gradually beat in the sugar. Then beat in the melted margarine or butter and vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined.

Heat an electric pizzelle iron according to the manufacturers directions. (Or, heat a nonelectric pizzelle iron on the range-top over medium heat till a drop of water sizzles on the grid. Reduce heat to medium-low.)

Place a slightly rounded tablespoon of batter slightly off center toward back of grid. Close lid. Bake according to manufacturer's directions. (For a nonelectric iron, bake for 30 to 60 seconds or till golden, turning once.) Turn wafer out onto a paper towel to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 18.

YUM!

Note:
Recipe is a modified version of one found in Better Homes and Gardens Cookies Cookies Cookies

Quick and Easy Cheesecake

I'm not a Susie Homemaker nor a Betty Crocker but I do get ambitious once in a while to make some "treats." I see all sorts of delicious goodies on some blogs I read and I'm jealous. Not that I'd want to take the talent/goodies away I'd just like a little bit of my own. So, sometimes I find shortcuts and easy things to make. I've been in the mood for some cheesecake lately so when DH and I stopped at Meiers yesterday on our way back from Louisville we bought some cream cheese (on sale 4 packs for  $5). Today when my sweet, adopted great-granddaughter came over we made an easy cheesecake. Here's how we did it:

Easy Cheesecake
1 store-bought graham cracker crumb crust (or one of the cookie flavor ones will work)
2 8oz. packs cream cheese--let it get to be room temp (I let mine sit on counter for an hour)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (I used an off brand of Splenda)
2 teasp vanilla
1/2 teasp grated lemon peel (I use the stuff in the jar from the spice section)

Preheat oven to 350

Beat cheese

Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel--beat it until it is fluffy-looking

Bake about 25 minutes until it looks firm

Refrigerate 8 hours

Eat with your choice of topping or plain. We like it plain.

Very easy and quite tasty. Enjoy y'all....

Search Amazon.com for cheesecake recipe book

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I'm a regular Susie-Homemaker today. DH has been moaning that he wanted a pineapple upside down cake for the past several days.  I was going to cheat and buy a mix but the Super Walmart here didn't carry them anymore!  So, I bought a small yellow cake mix meant for a batch of cupcakes, or a jiffy yellow cake mix would do.  I mixed the mix as per directions.  In the bottom of a round cake pan I melted 1/4 cup butter and mixed 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  I had a large can of pineapple and I used about half the slices and put some maraschino cherries in the circles and big open spots.  Baked at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour.  Here it is...