Orange Walnut Biscotti

Mama Kay and her dear friend, Polly Moore, perfected this recipe in the 1990s in Seguin.

Mix together dry ingredients:

3+ 2/3 c. flour

1 + 1/3 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. baking soda

1 c. chopped walnuts

Orange rind zest (avoid the white—it’s bitter)—Use two small or one

large orange

Zest of ½ lemon

Add wet ingredients previously mixed together:

2 eggs = 1 egg yolk  (Save the white for wash later)

3 t. orange extract

1 stick melted butter

Knead dough with hands. (If dough is too dry, add OJ or cream to moisten a bit.) Divide into two balls and shape into logs.  Place on parchment paper on cookie sheet.  Brush with egg white. Bake 350 degrees 30-35 minutes.  COOL.

Slice baked dough on diagonal. Place slices standing up on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for additional 7 minutes.

Meme’s Tea Cookies

Meme would let her granddaughters  (the four Keehn girls plus Cornelia) do the thumb-punching.

½ c. butter, softened

½ c. powdered sugar

1 egg, separated

¼ c. orange marmalade

1 c. unsifted flour

1 c. chopped walnuts

Additional marmalade or raspberry jam

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg yolk.  Add flour.  Beat at low speed until smooth. Cover and chill dough.

Beat egg white with folk in a small bowl.  With floured hands shape dough into  ¾” balls.  Dip each dough ball into beaten egg white, then into chopped nuts.  Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with glass bottom to ¼” thickness.   Indent center of each with thumb.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cook on rack.   When cool, fill in each cookie center with marmalade or jam.

Argyle Cookies

These were elegant cookies from Argyle Hotel in San Antonio.  Meme served them to Bridge Club friends at the Hacienda.  Mama Kay loved them.

1 lb. butter

1 c. sugar

Zest of lemon and juice of ½ lemon

6 c. flour, sifted with ½ t. baking powder

2 eggs

Toasted sliced almonds

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time.  Add lemon juice and zest.

Add flour mix.  Shape dough into a roll.  Cover in waxed paper or Saran wrap and chill overnight.  To bake:  Slice thin. Dip egg white and sprinkle on top with sugar and toasted chopped almonds.  Bake at 325 degrees until lightly browned.

Red Velvelt Cake

Mama Kay made this cake every year for Tia Boogie’s birthday (June 11).

CAKE:              1 ½ c. sugar

½ c. + 1 T. butter

2 eggs

2 ½ c. flour sifted with 1 t. baking powder, 1 t. salt

1 c. buttermilk mixed with 1 oz. red food coloring +        1 t. vanilla

1 t. vinegar

1 t. baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Then blend in one egg at a time.  Add flour mixture to butter mix, alternating with the buttermilk mix.  Mix all well.  Then mix vinegar, food coloring, and baking soda into a cup; gently fold into batter.

Bake in greased layer cake pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. (Test in center with a toothpick).  When cake is well cooled, frost.

FROSTING:                   3 T. flour

1 c. sugar

½ t. salt

1 c. shortening

1 c. milk

2. t. vanilla extract

¼ t. butter flavoring

Mix milk with flour and salt in saucepan.  Heat and stir constantly until thick.  Cool.  Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly.  Add vanilla and butter flavorings. Then beat in the cooled milk/flour mixture.

Three Fruit Sherbert

This was a great “refresher” at 1334 Keller Lane after a summer swim.

5 ripe bananas, mashed well

Large can frozen orange juice concentrate

½-¾ c. fresh lemon juice with 1 ½ c. dissolved sugar

1 quart  half-n-half

Mama Kay’s Quick Cherry Crunch

Mix 1 yellow cake mix, 2 sticks melted margarine and ½ c. chopped pecans.

Mix ½ t. almond flavoring and 1 T. lemon juice into 1 can cherry pie filling

Pour pie filling over cake mixture.

Sprinkle a few more pecans on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes until golden on top.  Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Omi Da’s Lemon Pound Cake

This was a favorite of Mama Kay’s “prayer group” of friends from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Seguin.

1 package Lemon Velvet cake mix, sifted with 1 small package lemon jello

¾ c. apricot nectar

½ c. vegetable oil

Mix these three ingredients together well.

Add 4 eggs, one at a time.  Add 1 t. vanilla.

Bake in ring mold.  While cake is still hot, add GLAZE of grated lemon rind, fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Meme’s Sand Tarts

These were always on the Christmas cookie tray.  They are Tia Kathy’s favorites.

2 sticks butter

6 T. powdered sugar  (1/4 c. + 2 T.)

1 ¼ c. chopped pecans

1 T. water

1 ½ t. vanilla

1 ½ c. sifted flour

Cream sugar, butter, water and vanilla.  Add flour, then pecans.

Form into crescent shape.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees in middle top of oven.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.  (Guard against over-browning on bottom).

Remove from cookie sheet and roll each baked cookie in powdered sugar to coat.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Tia Susan got this recipe in 1983 (year Amy was born) in Colorado.  These cookies quickly became a grandkid favorite on the Christmas cookie tray.

1 ¾ c. flour

½ t. salt

1 t. baking soda

½ c. shortening

½ c. white sugar

½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed

½ c. peanut butter (use cheapest variety available for smoothness)

1 egg, beaten

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

Extra sugar for rolling

Hershey chocolate kisses

Combine all ingredients except kisses.  Blend well at low speed.  Shape into balls, using a rounded teaspoon.  Roll each ball in additional sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Remove from oven and top each cookie immediately with Hershey kiss, pressing down firming so cookie cracks around edge.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Mama Kay’s grandchildren liked sweeter cookies than she typically made, so in later years, she began using neighbor Betsy Weyel’s recipe that included a frosting. Every Christmas season, children gathered round Mama Kay’s kitchen table to decorate cookies.  Some were decorated with sprinkles prior to cooking.  Others were frosted and then decorated.   The frosted ones are Tyler’s favorite holiday cookie.

BATTER:           ½ c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 beaten egg

1 T. heavy cream

½ t. vanilla

¼ t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1 ¾ c. + 2 T. flour

Mix salt, baking powder and flour.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.  Then add cream and vanilla.  Add flour mixture.  Form into ball.  Wrap in waxed paper or Saran wrap and chill thoroughly.

On floured surface, roll dough to ¼” to ½” thickness.  Use cookie cutters.

Bake 5-8 minutes, depending upon thickness.

FROSTING:         Spread thin layer on back side of cookie.

1 stick butter, melted

1 box powered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Bit of milk

Mix in pan on stove.  Add milk, tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency.  Place white frosting in small bowls and add desired food coloring.   If frosting hardens in bowl, add milk and blend.