There's a reason they call them Vanishing

Today I decided to put my best Betty Crocker foot forward and do a little Suzie Homemaking. And if anyone knows me, they know I'm anything but Betty Crocker. I didn't bake from scratch until I was 36..........!! I know....my poor kids had to eat boxed cakes and cookies from the Pillsbury Dough Boy, you know the kind,the ones that come in a tube and all you have to do is slice them, place on cookie sheet and bake! But, I have a good excuse, actually a great excuse. My older sister, Dena, started baking at the age of 7 and cooking when she was barely four. At four, she would make me (I'm three years younger) oatmeal cereal & toast for breakfast. At 7 she took up baking. Our dad bought her a dessert cookbook for her 7th birthday. And she is a great cook! So, through the years, anytime I wanted cookies, cakes, etc. she was only too happy to oblige me. Did I mention that I'm the baby of the family :)

Well, after I had my boys, she informed me that she thought I should learn to bake, from scratch, for them, thus creating wonderful memories for my children. I can tell you, I wasn't so sure that idea was for me! I couldn't bake, but I can cook a meal that is not only appealing, nutritious, but also tasty to the pallat. It's just that, up to that point, I never had to bake....my sister did that for me. I knew she was right, so after I tried a couple of recipes (which I will share) I found that I wasn't too bad at baking. At least no one was harmed!! (If you don't count the incident with the cat and his "reaction" to tasting one of my first batches of cookies)

My boys have two favorites, vanishing oatmeal / chocolate chip cookies and sour cream cookies. Today I made the oatmeal / chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is on the lid of the Quaker Oats box. It calls for raisins, but we like Nestle's Tollhouse Chocolate Chips.


Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
3 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins (we substitute Nestle's Tollhouse chocolate chips)

Heat oven to 350. Beat together butter (margarine) & sugars until creamy. Add eggs & vanilla; beat well. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt. Add to butter / sugar mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats, raisins (chocolate chips) mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I would have had pictures...but my boys ate them as fast as I could get them out of the oven!! They are so delish that they really do vanish!

This next recipe, I grew up with my maternal grandmother making these delicious treats for us kids. These are my all time favorites.

Sour Cream Cookies
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup softened butter or margarine
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
4-1/4 cups flour
Pecan halves

Heat oven to 350. Cream together sugar and butter (margarine). Stir in eggs, vanilla and mix well. Add sour cream and thoroughly mix well. In separate bowl, sift flour & baking soda. Then in small amounts and mixing well, add flour to sugar & butter mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with Pam or other cooking spray. Press one pecan half lightly onto each cookie before baking. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes. Cookies are done when you can touch it and it doesn't leave a dent. This is a drop cookie with a cake like texture. Very YUMMY!!

Until Later,
~Toni~