Kitchen Sink Cookies

Butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, oatmeal, raisins the basic start to a cookie……but then you add Grape-Nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut, toasted pecans…..Kitchen Sink Cookies (click for recipe). There are other recipes that add potato chips, pretzels and toffee.

Idiom “everything but the kitchen sink”

“……first print reference can be found in 1918 in the newspaper The Syracuse Herald. The expression became popular during World War II, where it was said that everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at the enemy.

No wheat germ on hand but I did toast the pecans
Parchment paper is essential

The Last Package of Lebkuchen

When I got to Laura’s house there were three packages of Lebkuchen by the guest bed. My daughter knows me well. These are from Germany.

Unfortunately, Oscar the dog got one package and ate some (no ill effects even though he got a chocolate covered one)

but he didn’t get my favorite kind.

I just opened it tonight. One a day for six days and then will have to wait until next Christmas

Kind of a soft gingerbread with a blend of spices, nuts and peel, not too sweet.

Lots of Lebkuchen links below

Lebkuchen ice cream in Berlin

Lebkuchen ice cream at home

Aunt Rhea’s Recipe post from her mother’s father.

Friends in Florida and Massachusetts Bake Aubt Rhea’s Lebkuchen recipe a double guest blog

Annual Lebkuchen Baking

And if you want to experiment with different recipes here’s the blend of Lebkuchen spices

Split-Second Cookies Recipe

Here’s the recipe I used to bake Split-Second Cookies. They are like a shortbread filled with jam.

I creamed the butter and sugar by hand.

Added egg and vanilla.

The combined dry ingredients.

I usually fill them with raspberry and apricot Bonne Maman jam. I was fortunate to receive some delicious marmalade and jam from two different friends.

I used Eileen’s Orange Marmalade and Pam’s Blubarb in addition to the raspberry and apricot.

Eileen’s Marmalade and Pam’s Blubarb Jam
Took a plateful to a friend for her birthday

Joanne Baked Her Fruitcake Cookies Today

Fruitcake Part 2

Tuesday’s post was Joanne’s Fruitcake recipe and a photo of a few ingredients. i asked people if they were fruitcake fans.

Monday night I’d texted Joanne, asked if she had a photo of her fruitcake cookies I could include in the post. She responded after I went to bed and said if I’d wait a day she bake them.

I woke up this morning, saw her response and here are her photos. Thank you, Joanne.

Joanne’s been baking this recipe since the 80’s

Hungarian Csoroge

Aunt Linda made these Hungarian Csoroge

Can you pronounce it?
here’s a recipe

also known as Angel Wings, traditionally fried in hot lard.

there are similar fried dough recipes from: Poland (chrusciki, kruschicki) Italy (frappe or cioffe -bowtie cookies) Lithuania-(ausuki).  Croatia-(Kroštule)

here’s a link to Nut Roll slideshow 

Pretty plate from my friend Joanne.

 

Raisins- Yes or No?

My friend Bill’s sister used to make him a raisin pie. I believe it was for his birthday.  One time I made raisin filled cookies for him once he told me. He would be a YES on the raisin question.

And then there is the NO response to Raisins- Yes or No?

I have a friend who prefers oatmeal cookies without raisins in them. Not sure if he dislikes raisins or just in cookies.

The other day on Zoom virtual knitting group we were talking about pick-up  bakery items available at Jean Marc Chatellier French Bakery in Millvale.  You can order via phone and pick up baked goods between 10-1, different items available different days. Then someone in our Zoom Virtual Knitting group asked if the Apple Strudel made by Jean-Marc had raisins in it.(no was the answer)  Another participant said they hoped the apple strudel didn’t have  raisins in it because “Raisins are the Devil’s Candy!” I’d never heard of that expression before. Have you? Sure enough when I googled I found a 2015 blog post with that very title.  Oh my. A rant agains the lowly raisin? Who knew?

Last week a reader objected to the rice pudding with raisins in it when I posted a few days ago.  Yes to the Rice Puddings but No to the Raisins.

Ready to make Raisins Filled Cookies . Raisins plumped by covering with boiling water.

April 30 is National raisin day

And the story of the image of the Maid on the Raisin box who passed away in 1983

So which is it-

Raisins. Yes or No?