Our Recipes

Peppermint patti sandwich cookies

2 packages devil food cake mix ( I always use Duncan Hines)

4 eggs

2/3 vegetable oil

Granulated sugar

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 Tbsp. peppermint extract

4 cups confectioners’ sugar (I use just a tad more, maybe 2 Tbsp.)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine cake mixes, eggs and oil; beat until blended. Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes or until tops are cracked. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling: In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and extract until blended. Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spread filling on bottom of half the cookies and cover with remaining cookies.  These are much better the second day since the cookies soften up quite a bit.

Almond-Poppyseed muffins

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

1 1/3 all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

¼ cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375°F. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups.  In large bowl, stir together sugar, oil, egg and almond extract. Beat in sour cream and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and poppy seeds until well blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with almonds and gently press into muffin tops. Bake 14 to 17 minutes. (You can make the batter the night before, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. Increase baking time by 2-3 minutes.)



Mountain man cinnamon rolls

I make these the rolls the prior evening and let them rise in refrigerator overnight. Next morning, the entire house is filled with their enticing aroma as they bake. I make these Godzilla size (Help! One fell on me, and I can’t get up!)

2 tablespoons dry yeast

1/8 teaspoon sugar

½ cup lukewarm water

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¾ cup butter

½ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1½ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

3 eggs, lightly beaten

6 cups flour

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¾ cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

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Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounches cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 drop orange extract

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and salt in separate glass bowl and microwave until butter is barely melted.
3. Transfer to mixing bowl and add half the flour. Mix well. Add eggs, milk powder, yeast mixture and remaining flour. Knead with dough hook 5 minutes.
4. Place in warm bowl and let rise 1 hour. Punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes. Mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to form soft paste.
5. Roll dough into rectangle and spread with brown sugar paste. Roll as for jelly roll and cut into 12 pieces using dental floss instead of knife.
6. Arrange slices in buttered 9 x 13 baking dish, cut side up. Cover tightly with foil and immediately place in refrigerator to rise overnight.
7. Next morning, remove from fridge about 1 ½ hours before baking and allow to rise in warm place.
8. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let set 10 minutes.
9. To make frosting, blend all ingredients together together in mixing bowl and beat 3 minutes or so.
10. Frost warm cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting and serve immediately.

Strawberry pizza

We always end our breakfasts with something sweet. This impressive dessert is a fun way to enjoy in-season strawberries. Be sure to cut the pieces small since this is very rich.

For the shortbread crust: 

2 sticks softened butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup chopped pecans

Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until combined. Turn dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet and pat to 11 inch wide circle. Bake at 350 until edges are beginning to brown, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. (I make the night before.)

For the topping:

½ cup strawberry preserves

¼ fresh orange juice

1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

½ cup powdered sugar

Dark chocolate

Blend preserves and orange juice, set aside. Blend mascarpone cheese and sugar until creamy. To assemble pizza, spread mascarpone cheese evenly onto shortbread crust. Arrange sliced strawberries on pizza, completely covering crust. Spoon preserve mixture over top. Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of chocolate over top of pizza.

My sister's Potato rolls

My mom made these delicious, feather-light rolls every Sunday. My sister Linda and I continue her roll-baking tradition, but Linda modified the recipe to make it somewhat easier by using instant potato flakes instead of regular potatoes. The aroma is heavenly as they bake!



3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup instant potato flakes

6 cups flour (I use King Arthur’s)

2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast

Combine sugar, salt, milk and butter in glass bowl and heat in microwave until butter melts. In separate bowl, combine water and potato flakes.   Pour both mixtures into mixing bowl. Add 2 cups flour and the eggs. Mix well, then add yeast while mixture is still warm – but not hot enough to kill yeast. Mix well, then add remainder of flour and continue beating until all flour is absorbed. Knead ten minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let rise 1 hour, 15 minutes or until 2 fingers inserted into dough retain prints. Make into rolls, dip each roll in melted and cooled butter, then place in pan. Let rise again 1 hour, 15 minutes. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden.  (Better plan on a second batch – these rolls disappear quickly!)

Patti's white lily Biscuits

2 cups White Lily self-rising flour

1/4 cup shortening

2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk (do not use non-fat buttermilk)

1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 500. Place flour and sugar in mixing bowl. Cut shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mixing by hand tends to soften the shortening, making a sticky, difficult-to-handle dough. Do not overblend and do not use liquid shortening or your biscuits will be mealy rather than tender and flaky.  Gently push the flour mixture to edge of bowl, making a well in the center. Blend in milk with a fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.  Too much milk makes dough too sticky to handle; not enough milk makes biscuits dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes. Pat dough to slightly more than 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 2″ biscuit cutter (I just use a drinking glass), dipping cutter into flour between cuts. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet.  For crusty-sided biscuits, place about 1 inch apart. For soft-sided biscuits, place biscuits with sides just touching.  Bake 6 – 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Ymmmm!!

ROSEMARY-Pear Thumbprint Cookies - my very favorite!

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 cup pear preserves

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, confectioners’sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Fold in rosemary. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

• Preheat oven to 350˚. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

• Using a 1-inch spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough. Roll into even spheres. Place on cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Using a wet finger, gently press an indention into the center of each cookie. Spoon 1⁄2 teaspoon pear preserves into each indentation.

Sprinkle cookies evenly with granulated sugar. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Overnight Party Mix

1 large box Crispix cereal

2 cups Wheat Chex

1 small package pretzels (the ones that look like miniature tennis rackets)

2 cans salted nuts ( I use 1 can cashews and 1 can mixed nuts)

Place one large brown paper grocery bag inside another, then put the above ingredients into bag.

Mix together:

1 cup vegetable oil

2 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

2 Tbsp. dry dill weed

Pour mixture over dry ingredients. Fold down top of inside bag. Then fold down top of outside bag. Use several clothespins to fasten outer bag. Shake bag several times to get all dry ingredients coated with oil mixture. Let mixture sit for 24 hours. Turn the bag over to different sides during this curing process so as much oil as possible will soak into paper bags just leaving the flavoring on the contents.