Cookies 'n Cakes - Festive 'n Fun

White Chocolate Coconut Cake

This recipe was taken from The White Gull Inn Centennial Cookbook.

The recipe calls for white chocolate, but I substituted dark chocolate - 60% cocoa. We all loved it!

Click on the link for the recipe for Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake

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Impossible Coconut Pie

It's not really impossible, but actually quite easy. You can make it in a snap. The recipe comes from The Cancer Survival Cookbook. The authors call it impossible because even though you mix all the ingredients together in a food processor and pour them into a pie pan, during cooking the "crust forms on the bottom, custard appears in the middle, and coconut rises to the top. Impossible!"

• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie pan. Place all ingredients except coconut in a blender or food processor. Process until well mixed. Stir coconut into mixture. Pour into the pie pan. Bake for 60 minutes. (If glass pan is used, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.) Serves 8.

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Connie's Carrot Cake - Love never tasted so good

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This scrumptious carrot cake says Valentine's Day in our house. It's definitely worth the effort and makes a festive, mouth-watering appearance on a holiday table. We think it tastes best after the flavors have blended for a day.

Carrot Cake - Sift and set aside:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat together:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups sugar

Add sifted ingredients and mix well. Then add and mix:

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup broken walnuts (sometimes we omit the nuts)

Pour into a 13" x 9" pan or 2 9" rounds and bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 55 minutes or until done.

Prick holes in the cake and pour the glaze over the cake while it is still warm. Let the cake absorb the glaze for about 15 minutes. Then frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting.

Buttermilk Glaze - In a medium sauce pan, combine the following:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter (1/4 pound)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Boil the mixture for 5 minutes then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting - Mix the following until smooth and creamy:

• 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 1/8-ounce package of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon orange juice

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Lazy Daisy Cake

Click on the above link for this recipe taken from Mom's Updated Recipe Box: 250 Family Favorites Made Quick and Healthy.

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Lingonberry Coffee Cake

I got this recipe from Open House Imports in Mt. Horeb, WI. I used it to make the cake component of King Lingonberry.

Coffee Cake:

• 2 extra ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups Bisquick
• 2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 jar (8-10 ounces) Lingonberries with sugar

Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pecans or walnuts)
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour

Puree the bananas. Add the egg and vanilla; mix well. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9" pan. Mix the topping and sprinkle on top of the cake. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

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Pound Cake for Jane and Cassandra

Taken from Tea with Jane Austen.

• 1 lb/450g/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted, it was fine)
• 6 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 lb/450 g/4-1/3 cups cake flour
• 1 lb/450 g/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (I used almond extract - it was really good!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F/170 degrees C/Gas Mark 3. Grease a bundt or tube cake pan.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed or by hand until very smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks together well (about 1 minute). Add the eggs and vanilla extract or caraway seeds to the butter and mix thoroughly. Add the cake flour gradually and mix well. Mix in the sugar. Beat the batter on medium speed until very smooth - about 5 minutes, or at least 200 strokes by hand. Pour the batter into the pan, leveling it off well.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the deepest part of the cake comes out clean. (Check after 1 hour and every few minutes thereafter to ensure the cake does not become overdone.) Invert the pan on a wire rack and carefully lift it off the cake. Do not allow the cake to cool in the pan, as the crust will be ruined.

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Here are some recipes for delicious holiday cookies that you'll want to serve year 'round!

Swedish Pepparkakor (Gingersnaps)

Taken from the Wisconsin Country Gourmet

'The tangy fragrance of these cookies is part of the wonderful smell of the Swedish Christmas.  They should be rolled as thin as parchment.'

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark corn syrup

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream butter until soft, gradually add sugar, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Add egg and corn syrup.  Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well.  Chill several hours before rolling.  Remove some of the chilled dough, place on lightly floured surface and roll 1/16-inch thick.  Cut with lightly floured cookie cutter into various shapes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Remove to cooling rack.  After thoroughly cooled, decorate with white icing, if desired.  Makes 4-5 dozen.

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Lacy Dried Cherry Snaps

Taken from Cherries Galore: A Door County Cherry Recipe Collection

'Definitely a 'Good-for-you' cookie! Low in fat and no cholesterol!

• 1 cup chopped dried cherries
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine dried cherries, brown sugar, oil and water.  Stir to dissolve any lumps in the brown sugar.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Add oatmeal and nuts; mix.  Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Fold into dried cherry mixture and chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet.  Drop heaping teaspoons of the batter onto cookie sheet.  Flatten lightly with a fork.

Bake 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool 1 minute before removing cookies from sheet.  If cookies cool to long, they will stick to the cookie sheet.  If this happens, place in warm oven for 1 to 2 minutes and remove from the sheet immediately.

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Frosted Cherry Drops

Taken from Cherries Galore: A Door County Cherry Recipe Collection

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup dried cherries
• 1 1/2 cup flour, scant
• 1/4 teaspoon soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Dried Cherry Frosting:

• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Blend butter and sugar.  Beat in egg, sour cream, flavorings and cherries.  Sift in dry ingredients.  Beat.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie pans.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until done.  Frost with dried cherry frosting.  Place three dried cherries in the center of each cookie.

Dried Cherry Frosting: Combine cherries and water and cook in microwave on High for 45 seconds.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  Put in blender on Blend for 20 seconds.  Put in bowl and add powdered sugar, butter, and almond extract.  Beat.  Add more powdered sugar, if needed, for desired consistency.

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Famous Cranberry Cookies

Taken from Recipes for Sweetened Dried Cranberries 

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar -- packed
• 1 egg -- beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup pecans -- chopped
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Cream together butter and sugars; add egg, water, and lemon and almond extracts.  Sift flour and baking soda together.  Fold into egg mixture.  Mix well; add pecans and oatmeal.  Stir in dried cranberries.  Roll into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, place on cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.