A Life of Simple JoyReducing stress, increasing joy one post at a time!

•    ½ lb butter
•    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
•    2 small packages cream cheese
•    2 cups flour
•    2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven 350. Mix ingredients together. Roll out on floured surface. Cut with a glass (yes, a drinking glass.) Put a spoonful of apricot jam in the center of cookie. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled.

•    1 cup butter
•    1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1 tablespoon water
•    1 teaspoon vanilla
•    2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
•    1 cup rolled oats
•    red or green candied cherries
•    2 cups flaked coconut

Cream butter with sugar, salt, water and vanilla. Add flour and beat until blended. Stir in oats. Shape dough around cherries (whole cherries) into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on un-greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 oven 18-20 minutes. cool on racks. Dip cooled cookies into frosting, then roll in coconut. Let dry on rack.

Frosting

•    2 cups confectioners sugar
•    1/4 cup milk
•    few drops green food coloring
•    Few drops mint extract

Combine sugar, milk, food coloring and extract. Beat until smooth. Mixture will be thin.

•    1 package lemon cake mix
•    1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
•    3/4 cup milk
•    4 eggs
•    1 1/4 cup ground cranberries
•    1/2 cup ground walnuts
•    1/4 cup sugar
•    confectioners’ sugar

Blend cake mix, cream cheese, and milk; beat with mixer for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs; beat 2 minutes longer. Mix cranberries, walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar; gently fold into cake batter. Pour into greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour or until done. Cool for 5 minutes in pan; turn out on cake rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

•    1/2 cup shortening
•    3/4 cup sugar
•    2 eggs
•    3 cups flour
•    4 teaspoons baking powder
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    3/4 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries
•    1 cup chopped black walnuts
•    1 1/4 cups milk

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Dredge cherries and nuts in 1/4 cup of flour mixture. Add balance of flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture. Stir in cherries and nuts.
turn into a greased 5 1/2×9 1/2 loaf pan. Bake in 350 oven about 1 hour. Cool completely and store in frig overnight before slicing.

•    2 eggs, well beaten
•    1 cup fresh orange juice
•    1/4 cup water
•    Grated rinds of 2 oranges
•    1/4 cup melted butter
•    4 cups sifted all purpose flour
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    3 teaspoons baking powder
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    2 cups sugar
•    1 cup chopped walnuts
•    1 cup chopped dates
•    1 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
•    1/4 cup flaked coconut
•    2 cups dried cranberries cut in half

Combine eggs, orange juice, water, rind and butter. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add liquid mixture and stir until blended. Add fruits and nuts; mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into 2 greased and wax paper lined 9×5″ pans. Bake in 325 oven for 40 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees and continue to bake 40 more minutes. Remove bread from pans, peel off wax paper and cool on racks. When cool, wrap in plastic wrap and store in frig.