Home Cookin'

• 1½ cups butter
• ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups finely ground almonds
• 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 325°F

Cream butter in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add ground almonds, vanilla, and almond extract. Blend in flour gradually and mix well.

Shape into small balls (use a 1 oz. cookie scoop). Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Cool slightly, then coat with confectioners' sugar.

Skye's favorite tea is Earl Grey.

Fill a kettle with eight cups of fresh cold water and bring the water to a boil.

Pour a little of the hot water into the teapot, slosh it around to warm the pot, then pour it out.

Put nine teaspoons of Earl Grey tea leaves in a tea ball, and put the tea ball in the teapot.

Fill the pot with boiling water and let steep for three to five minutes.

Royal Tea Cake

• 2½ cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely-chopped pecans
• 1 stick softened butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 12 oz. of Rollos
• 1 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter with sugar and beat in eggs one at a time. Add dry mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, to the creamed butter/sugar.

Melt Peanut Butter Cups and butter together, then add it and vanilla to above mixture.

Pour into greased Bundt pan and bake at 350°F for an hour.

• 10 oz. jar Maraschino Cherries
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1½ cup flour
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drain cherries, but reserve the juice. Beat sugar and butter at high speed until fluffy. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat until well mixed. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add cocoa powder and flour; beat until smooth. Shape dough into small balls and place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press a cherry into the center of the ball.

Combine semisweet chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in saucepan. Over low heat, stir until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon of chocolate mixture over each cherry. (Thin with additional cherry juice if necessary.)

Bake 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack and continue to cool.

• one 13-oz. can evaporated milk
  — placed in freezer for 1 hour
• one 3-oz. package lemon Jell-O
• 1¼ cups boiling water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Juice from one lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package Lorna Doone Cookies
  (or any plain shortbread cookie)

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup cold butter

• ¼ cup flour
• 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Kahlua Liqueur
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup chopped nuts

• ¼ cup butter (softened)
  
• ¼ cup solid shortening (i.e. Crisco)
  
• 1 lb powdered sugar
  
• 1 TBSP milk
  
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 pint vodka
• 2 cans pink lemonade concentrate
• 1 lime, sliced
• 4 trays of ice

• 2½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• 4 oz. evaporated milk
• 1 oz. International Delight French Vanilla creamer
• 1 jar (7½ oz.) marshmallow crème
• ¾ tsp salt
  
  
• ¾ tsp vanilla
• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 cup pecan pieces

• 2¾ cups sifted flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup softened butter
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans

Topping:

• ½ pound vanilla caramels
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour and baking powder. In medium mixing bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and egg yolks — beat with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Using a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, ½ cups nuts, and flour mixture. Form into teaspoon-size balls. Place an inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool completely on rack. In a double boiler combine caramels and ¼ cup of water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Dip cookie halfway into the caramel and then into the nuts. Store covered in fridge. Makes about 6 dozen.

Mix together and set aside:

• 1½ cups sugar
• ¾ cup cocoa
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup nuts
• ¾ cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream ¾ cup softened butter. Then add 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Spread in a greased 8 X 10-inch pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 325°F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Hi, you all know me. I'm May Denison, Skye and Vince's mom. When I heard Skye was writing a column on parenting, something no one needs instructions for, I marched right up to the newspaper owner and told him what his paper needed was a good recipe column. He said go ahead. Here's my best cookie recipe. Don't mess it up.

• ¼ cup butter-flavored Crisco®
• ¼ cup hard-packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup softened butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• buttercream frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first five ingredients until smooth. Mix flour and salt, and add to butter mixture. Dough should hold together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white, and then roll in nuts. Place balls about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb in center. Bake about 10 minutes. They should be tan, rather than brown.

Cool completely on rack. Fill with frosting. Frosting can be tinted to match occasion.

Makes 24-30 cookies. Recipe can be doubled.